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The good ‘ol days

Submitted by Aurora1 on Wed, 05/09/2018 - 3:00am

Caps and gowns, diplomas, celebrations, a few tears, and family.
Eighteen-year-olds in Aurora and all around the county have or soon will have that coveted signed document in hand, a crowning achievement in the lives of our youth.
These senior graduates are fortunate to have the love and support of those around them, those who helped guide them through elementary school, middle school and finally high school.
I thought it would be fun to look back 18 years, to the year 2000, things and events that happened when all of our graduates were just newborns. Things that were happening in our world when all they were concerned about was getting enough sleep and milk.
In the year 2000, gas cost $1.56 a gallon, a loaf of bread was $1.72, and a dozen eggs cost 89 cents.
Also, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by the narrowest of votes, concerns from Y2K came and went, and the reality show “Survivor” began its initial season with 51 million viewers.
“Cast Away,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Erin Brockovich” and “Gladiator” were popular at the movie theaters, while Madonna, Faith Hill, Lenny Kravitz, U2, Destiny’s Child, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Britney Spears were top performers/musicians.
Hillary Swank won the Oscar for best actress for the movie “Boys Don’t Cry,” while Kevin Spacey won best actor in “American Beauty.”
In the sports world, Oklahoma was crowned college football’s champion when they beat Florida State 13-2 at the Orange Bowl. Meanwhile, Michigan State took men’s basketball title with an 89-76 win over Florida, while Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal led the L.A. Lakers over the Indiana Pacers 4-2 to the win the NBA title. Former Husker and current Cleveland Cavs coach Tyronn Lue got a ring that year with Los Angeles.
Also, Derek Jeter was named the World Series MVP, leading his Yankees to a 4-1 series win over the Mets. And Tiger Woods won his first U.S. Open by a whopping 15 strokes, a win that still remains as the biggest winning margin in any major golf championship. Also, Vijay Singh (who?) won the Masters.
Pete Sampras and Venus Williams were crowned winners at Wimbledon, and the Summer Olympics were held in Sydney, Australia, where the United States earned 93 total medals to win by four over Russia.
The Husker football team won one of the most exciting games in program history, defeating Notre Dame in South Bend on Sept. 9, in overtime, 27-24 when Eric Crouch scored on an option play to the left from seven yards out to end it. Husker fans took over the stadium that day in a sea of red.
Nebraska, coached by Frank Solich, averaged over 43 points per game that season. They beat Iowa at home in the non-conference 42-13, but lost at Oklahoma and Kansas State. The Huskers finished up with a huge 66-17 win over Northwestern in San Antonio, one that as I remember got a little chippy.
Nebraska’s 66 points were a school record along with a NCAA bowl record, as were the Huskers’ nine offensive touchdowns.
Oh yes, the good old days. Sorry you graduates missed it.